Academics & Education

Only Muslim school in Paris closed down amid claims of Islamophobia France targets the capital’s only school catering to Muslims amid a wider crackdown on the country’s 4.5 million Muslim population.

(TRT) Paris’s only Muslim school was shut down by French authorities while pressure continues to increase on Europe’s largest Muslim community. MHS College and High School is a private secondary in Paris, originally established in 2015. Although the school is officially secular […]

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Calgary task force finds Quebec’s Bill 21 has far-reaching impacts for religious minorities Focus groups say concerns include psychological trauma and potential for copycat laws

(CBC) A task force comprised of faith groups, think-tanks and community organizations in Calgary says Quebec’s Bill 21 has impacted religious minorities across Canada since it came into law in 2019. The secularism law bans religious symbols, like hijabs and turbans, prohibiting public teachers, lawyers, police […]

Academics & Education

Uphold religious symbol ban to spare children from being influenced by hijab, Quebec parents plead Court case against Quebec's Bill 21 hears from supporters of the law for the first time

(CBC) Several parents pleaded with a Quebec Superior Court judge on Monday to uphold the province’s religious symbols ban in order to shield their children from being exposed to the hijab, which they believe conveys a “pernicious” sexist message. The parents, all […]

Academics & Education

Hijab a symbol of empowerment, not oppression, plaintiffs argue at trial of Quebec secularism law Sociologist testifies that most Muslim women aren't forced to wear the headscarf

(CBC) Plaintiffs challenging Quebec’s ban on religious symbols sought to dismantle, on Tuesday, one of the main arguments made by supporters of the law — that the hijab is a symbol of female oppression and undermines gender equality. The Laicity Act, which was passed […]

Academics & Education

Quebec’s religious symbols ban dashed dreams and sparked hate, witnesses testify on 1st day of Bill 21 trial Groups argue secularism law unfairly bars Muslim women from public sector jobs, such as teaching and law

(CBC) A test of the constitutionality of Quebec’s secularism law began Monday amid tearful testimony from Muslim and Sikh teachers who said the law derailed their careers and made them targets of bigotry. The law, which was passed last year despite protests from civil […]

Academics & Education

Berlin teacher headscarf ban is illegal, rules top court The ruling is the latest in a long-running legal battle brought by a Muslim woman who was banned from teaching in the city. Some lawmakers are now calling for Berlin's controversial neutrality act to be changed.

(Deutsche Welle) Germany’s Federal Labor Court on Thursday ruled that a blanket ban on teachers wearing headscarves in schools in the capital city Berlin was unconstitutional. The court decision was the latest in a case brought by a Muslim woman who was unable to […]

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Burqa ban, face mask laws frustrate Dutch Muslims One year after the burqa ban in the Netherlands, Muslim women have reported increased discrimination and violence. Adding to the frustration, face masks against COVID-19 have become mandatory on Dutch public transport.

(Deutsche Welle) Walking quickly across the Bos en Lommerplein, a square in the west of Amsterdam, Emarah* stands out. Raindrops run down her long black burqa, soaking the bottom of the black body-covering garment. It has been three years since she first […]

Academics & Education

German state bans burqas, niqabs in schools Baden-Württemberg will now ban full-face coverings for all school children. State Premier Winfried Kretschmann said burqas and niqabs did not belong in a free society. A similar rule for teachers was already in place.

(Deutsche Welle) The government of the western German state of Baden-Württemberg agreed on Tuesday to ban full-face coverings, often known as burqa or niqab, in schools. The new rule comes as the topic of Muslim face coverings has been hotly debated in […]

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Muslim woman arrested in Miami protest forced to remove hijab for booking photo A civil rights attorney called it a 'severe violation of religious freedoms,' but a police spokesman said the department was following protocol.

(NBC) A Muslim woman arrested during a Black Lives Matter protest in Miami was forced to remove her hijab for a booking photo, which a Muslim civil rights advocate called a “severe violation of religious freedoms.” It also prompted supporters to start […]